Homecoming Festivities Draw Students and Alumni

Linna Jones
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Courtesy of Media Services

Queen - Senior Brittany Washington was announced UAM's Homecoming Queen. Her step-father Antione Bowman escorted her on the field

Students and alumni celebrated Homecoming week by participating in activities and finished with the crowning of the 2007 Homecoming queen Oct. 8 -13.

Before the game, alumni and 2006 Homecoming queen Special Sanders crowned senior Brittany Washington as this year’s queen Oct. 13. Washington’s stepfather Antione Bowman from Joliet, Ill., escorted her on to the field during the presentation of the homecoming court. The court walked onto the field to “My Girl” by The Temptations, played by the marching band.

“Oh wow, I feel extremely honored that our student body thinks so highly of me,” Washington said. “I was definitely not expecting this.”

The band, cheerleaders, several organizations and the court also participated in a parade Oct. 11. The band started the parade playing a variety of songs also featured in the halftime show as well as others.

Tau Kappa Epsilon, Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Alpha Sigma Tau, Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship and other organizations participated in the parade by riding on or driving floats.

The Journalism Club, Creative Society and Lady Knights rode the Wandering Weevils Wheels bicycles in the parade and pulled a Pomeranian in a bamboo cage to represent a caged lion. The sign said “Cage the Loins.”

The parade ended in front of the Spirit Wall for the pep rally.

People who attended the tailgate party received a chance to cheer on the Boll Weevils in the Weevil Walk of Champions and fellowship with one another.

The Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity offered a chance to help raise money in TKE’s “Smash and Bash the Lions” for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Participants bought five chances to beat a car painted in the University of North Alabama’s colors. Alumni Nicole Payton donated the car to the TKEs and approximately 20 people took turns hitting it.

“We weren’t sure what to look for and we, hopefully, plan to do this every year,” senior John Thompson said. “Judging by the look of the car, we had a pretty good turnout on this.”

Winners of the Spirit Wall:

· First place - TKE

· Second place - Alpha Sigma Tau

· Third place - Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship

Winners of the Cook-Off:

· First place - Baptist Collegiate Ministries

· Second place - MBSF

· Third place - TKE

Winners of Parade Float:

· First place - Ambassadors

· Second place - MBSF

· Third place - Alpha Sigma Alpha

The events for Homecoming included:

· Monday - Spirit Walls

· Tuesday - Cook-off and movie “We are Marshall”

· Wednesday - X-Box Challenge, Flight Simulator and Meet and Greet the Greeks, can food drive

· Thursday - Parade, Bonfire and Block Party

· Friday - Drunk Driving Simulator and movie “Remember the Titans”

· Saturday - Tailgate party, Weevil Walk of Champions, presentation of Homecoming Court and Coronation of Queen